Covington sued by nearby fire department in annexation dispute

St. Tammany Parish's 12th Fire Protection District has sued the city of Covington in an ongoing dispute over the fate of tax revenues from properties annexed by the city.

The fire department claims a recent annexation violates the state statute requiring the district and city to come to an agreement for fire protection services before such an annexation can occur.

Despite the fire district's objections, the Covington City Council last month annexed 1884 Collins Blvd., a property within the 12th Fire District.

The council approved the annexation on June 16, and the suit was filed in state court on June 25.

The annexation will be put on hold until a judge hears the case. It has been assigned to state Judge August J. "A.J." Hand, but a date has not yet been set for an initial hearing.

The suit asks for an agreement regarding fire services before that annexation becomes official, and that the district be awarded damages, including lost revenue, resulting from any annexation.

The lack of an agreement that delineates responsibility for fire protection and emergency services "increases the danger to public safety," the suit claims. The annexations are depriving the 12th Fire District revenue needed to maintain operations and pay bond indebtedness, district officials said.

The 12th Fire District was created in 1984 to serve the unincorporated areas of the parish's Third Ward around the city. And while the district's boundaries have not changed, as Covington has annexed businesses and properties into the city, the assessor's office has dropped them from the district's tax rolls.

Mayor Candace Watkins had not yet read the suit on Tuesday, but she said that she found Mitternight's statements "offensive and misleading."

"That's very consistent with the attitude that we have received from FD12 officials every time we have tried to negotiate an agreement," Watkins said.